THE man found guilty of the murder of an Anglesey mechanic was an arrogant thug intent on violence, a court heard.
Caernarfon Crown Court heard yesterday that Scott Whitely had committed 91 previous offences, some involving knives, since 1994.
Whitley plunged a kitchen knife into 21-year-old Leon Jones' chest after an earlier argument with Mr Jones' girlfriend in Holyhead.
Sentencing Whitley to a minimum of 21 years in prison, Judge Justice Griffith-Williams said:"You took the life of a young man who had done you no harm, who posed you no threat and who wished to avoid conflict with you."
In a victim statement read to the court, Leon's father Gerallt said that he did not know how to explain the effect of Leon's death on his mother Tina and the family.
"Our whole future has been destroyed - we will never see Leon and Laura get married and buy their first house," he said.
"Myself and Tina now have to live our lives in torment - all we have left are our memories and a headstone."
The court heard that Whitley, 30, had drunk four litres of cider, half a bottle of vodka and had smoked two bags of heroin on the day of the incident.
In his summary of the case, Justice Griffith-Williams said that Whitley saw Mr Jones girlfriend Laura Jones shouting on Kingsland Road in Holyhead on the evening of Saturday, November 28.
He asked Miss Jones if she was all right and threatened to slap her when she told him to leave her alone.
Miss Jones called Leon Jones and screamed for him to help her as Whitley said "are you scared of me?" and moved as if he was about to punch her.
She fled and met Mr Jones and the couple made their way to Mr Jones' home in Tan Yr Efail.
Whitley went home and approached the couple shortly before midnight armed with a knife, swinging his arms and shouting "Come on then."
Miss Jones said that stepped in between the two and pushed Whitley back.
Miss Jones saw Whitley throw what she thought was a punch before Mr Jones collapsed on the floor.
Whitley had claimed not to remember stabbing Mr Jones and said that he had gone from his house to confront the couple because he was curious to know who was shouting at him.
Whitley had claimed not to remember stabbing Mr Jones and said that he had gone from his house to confront the couple armed with a knife because he was curious to know who was shouting at him.
Mr Jones died of a single stab wound to the chest which pierced his heart and left lung.
Whitley’s list of convictions included wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assaulting a police officer, theft and affray.
Justice Griffith-Williams said that Whitley’s record of 37 convictions of 91 offences and his choice of weapon convinced him that Whitley had intended to kill Mr Jones, even if it had been for a split second.
DCI Wayne Jones, of the major incident team in Llanelwy, said that that he was satisfied with the sentence.
"Nothing is ever going to bring Leon back. The minimum term is 21 years, which means that Whitley will be at least 51 before he is eligible to apply for parole," he said. "We just hope that brings some comfort to the family."
He added that the sentence sent the message that anyone who carried or used a knife would be caught and would receive a substantial sentence.